e commerce or not?

HI
Having just launched my "Blooming Business" site ( on the 21st October, very exciting!) I have for the moment shelved adding e commerce. Purchases can be made either through Amazon or via phone.
My question is whether or not an inability to take direct orders and payments via my site is going to have a negative effect on my sales.
Does any one have any experience to share on this please? Any advice gratefully received.
Joy

 

Why would you reduce the potential methods of purchase for your customers?

It wouldn't be difficult to offer the book direct from your site via Paypal/Credit Card, and this would I think pick up more customers than not.

 

[jamieclick]

well as a company that specialises in e-commerce i'm always going to say go to it haha but really, i can only help!

If you would like a bit more of a chat feel free to pm me

 

[JohnnyD]

I think you need to consider this laterally... if you're asking customers to perform an additional action after they have found your site there will inevitably be those who drop out of the 'sales funnel' - its what its called. Websites should be designed to make a process easy so that you capture as many customers as possible.

 

[Coppock]

if you're offering payment through amazon then thats an online source so will be fine - the only thing to bear in mind is that people may go on amazon direct to make a purchase, get distracted by any special offers or competitors and buy a similar product on there - not yours.

It depends on what you're doing and who your target market is

hope this helps!
Jen

 

[OscarM]

You can never make it too easy for someone to buy your product. If I were in your shoes, I'd definitely add the e-commerce option to the site.

 

[CreationCoast]

Selling online is a must for all us antisocial types - there are times after a long day staring at a computer when the last thing I want to do is meet/speak to a human being!! Online shopping is my saviour!

Have you ever made an impulse purchase on the internet? Click, click, item bought - easy! If I'd had to have called I probably wouldn't have bothered!

Jamie

 

[tmhcks]

As far as I see it, it's a usability issue. When a user comes to your site you want to make it as easy as possible for them to part with their money. The most important way of doing this is by building in some sort of eCommerce functionality. From here you can refine down the process to make it easier and easier to use.

 

Thank you all for your replies to my question, still pondering - although my gut feeling is that e commerce is the way to go, only issue is the cost right now that my web designer is quoting to install this into the site - I am a asigned to sage pay already so all I need is for my designer to install it so why should this cost so much. May be you have further advice on this please?
cheers
Joy